Merino Knit Top Repair

This half-zip, long sleeve, merino wool top had a hole at the left shoulder. 

Located scraps saved after a prior refashion of a large merino knit polo into smaller t-shirt. The fabric is lightweight and relatively thin, but very durable. 

Cut out and pinned a double-layer of the scrap merino on the outside of the top. 

Sewed several times around the scrap edge with a wide zigzag stitch. 

Jacket Zipper Repairs

This old, lightly quilted LLBean jacket needed help with its three zippers. The front zipper needed to be replaced and the two side pocket zippers kept getting caught up in the thin nylon pocket flaps. First step was to remove the old front coil zipper and flap. When the flaps/wind guards are too thin, they are more likely to be a problem. Unpicking the multiple stitching layers to remove zippers is the most time consuming part of this.

Second step was to sew closed the front seam allowances, which previously encased the zipper and flap, and to wait for a new #5 molded tooth two-way separating YKK zipper to arrive in the mail. I prefer to only use YKK brand zippers for outdoor gear as they are reliably durable and replacement pulls are usually available from outdoor fabric shops. Molded tooth zippers often perform better than coil zippers if they get snow and sleet on them, and are more easily shortened for custom lengths. Two-way separating zippers are not necessary for hip-length jackets like this one, but I like them when hiking to have the option for increased ventilation.

Third step was to simply sew down the side pocket flaps. Much easier and faster than time-consuming pocket surgery on an old jacket that has invisible zippers for the pockets. Invisible zippers really should only be used in select dresses and skirts, because they tend to break easily and get fabric caught up in them. 

Fourth step was to shorten the new zipper. I removed excess teeth with needle nose pliers, added new top stops with the same pliers, then cut off the excess zipper tape at the top of the zipper. Finding a replacement zipper the exact length of the garment is rare, but shortening zippers is relatively easy.

Fifth step was to simply sew the new zipper to the inner finished front edges, folding in the shortened tape at the top between the jacket and the zipper.

Goodbye to this thin front zipper flap and the old coil zipper. The soft fleece at the top of the flap does protect your chin from a scratchy zipper, but the benefit was not worth it in this case.

Side pocket flaps sewn down.

Two new top stops installed.

Finished jacket ready to return to hiking trails and yard work.

Small Sewn Gifts

 

Have enjoyed non-facemask sewing this week and these two projects are good for small-ish pieces of leftover fabric. Hair scrunchies are much gentler on hair than elastic pontytail holders. Most of these scrunchies are drapey silk wovens, along with a lightweight knit, percale, and polyester woven print. The bean bag juggling balls are canvas and stretch denim, and are filled approximately 1/3 full with dried beans. 

Sewing Cloth Face Masks

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic forced a temporary shift in priorities at ReSewn. Sewing cloth face masks to give away for free has replaced sewing items to sell at craft markets. Thankfully, I had many yards of cotton fabrics in stash that were suitable. Have given away approximately six dozen masks over the past few weeks to family, friends, acquaintances, and their family, friends, and acquaintances. Will continue to sew masks until I run out of fabric, as it seems face masks will become a regular necessity of everyday life for the near future, and I much prefer reusable, durable, washable masks over disposables that contribute to landfill waste.

Outdoor Clothing Made From Cashmere, Merino, and Other Wool vs. Synthetics

When I started sewing my own outdoor clothing gear in the mid-1990's, I was fortunate to live near The Rain Shed in Corvallis, Oregon. That retail store sold all of the fabric, patterns, and notions to create my own clothing that made the 9-month rainy season of October through June more comfortable, and was practical for hiking and skiing. Polartec 100, 200, 300, 1000 Windblock, WindPro, and Powerstretch jackets, 3/4 zip sweatshirts, pants, hats, mittens, and socks. PowerDry wicking base layers. Woven Supplex nylon hiking pants. Supplex knit leggings, tops, camisoles, and sports bras. As a poor college student with little money to spend, it was cheaper to buy these fabrics and sew the items myself instead of buying read-to-wear, and I have always enjoyed sewing. After moving to New York State in 2003, mail-order through The Rain Shed was still my primary source for these supplies, excepting an occasional score of a fabric bolt labeled "unknown content" in the clearance fabric section of Joann's or the rare Walmart that still sold fabric- I knew how to recognize the good stuff by look and feel. For years I sewed what I thought was ideal clothing suited to outdoor activities, and I sewed many fleece mittens, hats, and pullovers as gifts for others.

A couple of years ago, my outdoor clothing sewing screeched to a halt after learning about microfiber plastic (yes, synthetic fibers are just plastic) pollution from synthetic fleece and other fibers. Thankfully, forward-thinking companies like Patagonia are working on strategies to reduce the microfiber problem. Here are a few articles if you are unfamiliar with this topic:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/02/06/511843443/are-we-eating-our-fleece-jackets-microfibers-are-migrating-into-field-and-food

https://www.outsideonline.com/2091876/patagonias-new-study-finds-fleece-jackets-are-serious-pollutant

https://www.patagonia.com/stories/an-update-on-microfiber-pollution/story-31370.html

https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/fleece-microfibers-plastic-pollution/

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/fight-against-plastic-pollution-targets-hidden-source-our-clothes-ncna1000961

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/microfibers-plastic-pollution-oceans-patagonia-synthetic-clothes-microbeads


So, what to do about reducing the environmental impact of outdoor clothing? I have mostly switched to wearing natural fibers- merino and cashmere tops and sweaters for base layers and insulating layers for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Cashmere is especially cozy in cold weather and is very lightweight. But wait, aren't those expensive to buy? No, because I find mine used at thrift stores such as Goodwill and ARC, and occassionally a random yard sale. The sweaters are typically no more than $8 each. Long sleeves are easily cut off and hemmed to short sleeves, to make a layering system. Dense, thick wool sweaters are sometimes naturally water repellant and may make a good outer layer. Woven wool vests, blazers, and coats evoke an old-school outdoor gear look and usually provide good wind protection though are heavier than the high-tech fabrics we are all used to. I moved back to Colorado in 2019 and so far have kept a couple of the Polartec Windblock items I sewed, for higher altitude hiking, but they will not be worn frequently.

What about base and outer layers for pants? High-quality merino base layer pants are likely impossible to find at thrift stores and most of us wouldn't want to wear that garment used anyway. Treat yourself to one or two pairs of high-quality merino baselayer pants such as the Minus 33 brand that are easily available at stores in the United States. They are worth the price. Silk knit base layer pants work for milder cold weather. Am still working on how to replace my nylon hiking pants.

Tips for shopping for clothes at thrift stores:

1. Machine wash and machine dry everything before bringing it into your household. You do not know what microscopic moth eggs or other critters might be in the sweaters. You don't need to try on the sweaters before cleaning them. Plan ahead and have quarters and laundry detergent with you, then stop by a laundromat after the thrift store. I always wash with hot water.

2. Buy the sweaters as big as possible, to allow for shrinkage during washing and drying. Each sweater will shrink at different rates. Tiny shrunken sweaters may be sewn into hats and mittens (my jam), or pieced together to create new sweaters. Too-small sweaters may be upsized by cutting up the side and under-sleeve seams and sewing in a long strip of fabric to each side. Too-short sweaters may be lengthened by adding the bottom portion of another sweater. You get the idea.

3. Sometimes fiber fluff from one sweater will stick to another sweater during laundering. To avoid those fibers from felting into each other, wash and dry bright/dark colors and light colors separately.

4. Holes in the garments that were not apparent pre-laundering may be visible after laundering. This is because insects sometimes eat just some of the fibers, leaving others intact until laundering further weakens that area. Patch a hole with a cute applique cut from another sweater scrap and embroidery thread. Or add a pocket to cover a hole.

5. Simple-shaped hoods may be cut and sewn from sweaters and sewn onto the neckline of others. Get creative with color-blocking.

6. Most cashmere sweaters have dry-clean only labels. Dry-cleaning is not necessary, and the chemicals are terrible for the environment and you. After the first machine washing and drying, they may be hand-washed (I prefer to hand-wash mine in shampoo with cold water) or a very gentle, short  machine cycle each in it's own mesh lingerie bag. Keep your sweaters in critter-proof storage when not being worn. I keep mine in durable plastic bins. Always make sure the garments are clean before storing for the off-season.

New ReCrafted Line from Patagonia

Nice to see a large company like Patagonia upcycling otherwise unusable clothing.

https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2019/10/second-stories/

https://wornwear.patagonia.com/recrafted

Reusable Produce Bags Made in Denver, CO

Looking for a locally-made source in Denver, CO for reusable produce bags? ReSewn makes produce bags from repurposed, lightweight, lace curtains and tablecloths.

Tips: 1) Remove produce from mesh/cloth bags before storing the food in a refrigerator. 2) Rinse the bags in the kitchen sink with water and a little dish soap if needed. Hang to dry, then put them in a cloth grocery tote bag for easy use next time shopping.